STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - What was once the world's largest
landfill will become the home to the city's largest solar energy facility,
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Monday.

"It's fitting that this site, long associated with the most stubborn
challenges of urban development, will now be a shining example of cutting-edge
solutions," Bloomberg said at Freshkills Park, formerly the city's garbage
dump.

The solar panels will be installed and operated by Sun
Edison, at no cost to the city. The city will earn money from the project through
a leasing agreement that is still being negotiated - and business owners in the
city will be able to get a green energy credit thanks to their installation.

"The solar panels Sun Edison will install on the site will
be able to produce up to 10 megawatts of energy, and that's enough to power
2,000 homes," Bloomberg said.

The energy will be fed back into Con Edison's grid system,
so it won't go to specific homeowners but will help power the entire city.

Sun Edison was selected after bidding to lease 47 acres of
the park, and will install 30,000 to 35,000 high-efficiency solar panels on the
site.

General Manager Attila Toth praised the city for their forward-thinking
approach.

"This is the largest city in the nation and the largest city
is developing the largest brownfield to park conversion site," Toth said. "This
is a very innovative solution and this kind of thinking does not happen in
every city around the nation."

Toth said the plant would employ more than 100 workers when
it's up and running in 2016.

The city already captures methane gas created underground - enough
to heat 22,000 homes -- at the site and sells it to National Grid for about $3
million a year.

Among those who have long been pressing for renewable energy
at Freshkills is Borough President James Molinaro.

"Who knew that he would be a tree-hugger when he was
elected?" Bloomberg joked. "But it runs out he has been very environmentally conscious
and has really done a great job for the people of Staten Island."

Molinaro called it an historic day, and recalled asking the
Port Authority for $500,000 to study renewable energy at the site shortly after
the landfill closed in 2001.

"I'm glad to say today we will be getting energy from the
landfill," Molinaro said. "We'll be turning something which was a disaster into
a benefit for the people of Staten Island, and for the environment."

Molinaro said it's just a start to the clean energy at
Freshkills. "I'm certain that eventually we'll have some windmills up there,"
he said.

Parks Commissioner Veronica White said all the efforts
underway at the landfill-turned-park have been a collaboration.

"It's been a partnership, especially with the sanitation department,"
she said. "All the sciene, and I have to say much of the hard work, is done by (Sanitation
Commissioner) John Doherty and his team. The Parks, we get to do the pretty part
on top."

Doherty recalled that the land was originally a marsh before
becoming a landfill in 1948. Now it's transitioning back to its former natural
beauty.

"It's another step forward today when the mayor announced
solar energy coming to this landfill to provide a more sustainable area out
here in Staten Island -- and one we can all be very proud of," he said.

Bloomberg also outlined all the city's done to turn the site
into a park - pointing out that it was likely the only time his administration brought
goats on the job, to munch on invasive plant species. Wetlands have been
restored, and next week, the city will take another major step in its 25-year
plan for the park.

"Next month we intend to formally apply to map the site as
parkland," Bloomberg said. "Once that application is submitted to City Planning,
we can begin to realize the conversion of another 1,500 acres of the site into parkland."

When all 2,200 acres of the site are done, it'll be the
largest new park in New York City in 100 years - and will bring the citywide
total acreage of parkland to more than 30,000.